Storage apparatus for liquids



C. L. IFRENGH.

STORAGE APPARATUS FOR LIQUIDS. APPucATloN man Nov. xs. 191e.

Patented Jan. 13,1920.

a SHEETS-suing C. L. FRENCH.

STORAGE yAPPARATUS FORLIQUIDS.

Patented Jan. 18, 1920.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEE! 2.

lll ull Illllwl IIIIIIIL C. LAFRENCH.

STORAGE APPARATUS FOR LIQUIDS.

Patented Jan. 13,1920.

APPLICATIOI FILED HOV. IB. l9li 3 SHEETS-SMH! 3 CHARLES L. FRENCH, 0F CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

sToRAGEArrAEATUs Foa LIQUIDs.

Specieationof Letters latent. i Patented J an, 13, 1920.

Application filed November 18. 1916. Serial No. 132.193.

To all lwhom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES L. FRENCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts,'l1ave invented certain new and -usefullmprovements in Storage Apparatus for Liquids, ofwhich the following, is a specification.

My invention relates to storage apparatus for liquids, particularly lubricating oils and the like.

In garages and other places Where lubricating oils are stored in 'bulk and dispensed in small quantities it is practically the universal Customito store the oil in a tank from Whichit is pumped into a portable measure or other vcontainer as required. The top Vof a'storage tank of this kind is usually constructed so that the measure may rest thereon while not in use and also while the oil is being pumped into it, and any oil overflowing from the measure, or dripping from the nozzle from -which the oil is discharged by the pump is caught by said top and drains back into the storage tank from which it was pumped. It will thus be clear that such apparatus had the objectionable feature that any dust or other foreign matter deposited upon the top lof the tank iswashed down into the latter with the oil that drains backand that later this foreign matter is pumped up and delivered into the measure with the oil. Also, such apparatus was objectionable because at garages and the like it often happens that the person delivering oil to a customer will pour'the contents ofthe measure into the engine and then place the measure, wet withv oil, down on the ground while he replaces vthe filling cap' and closes the hood of the car. Later when he picks the Ameasure up and deposits it on' the tank, the dirt and grit adhering to its bot-tom is deposited upon the top of the tank from which it is washed down into .the supply of. oil contained Within the latter to be later pumped up with the oil and delivered into the crank case of some engine.. Furthermore such apparatus was objectionable for the reason that the tank was a non-portable affair located usuthe garage or the like and it was necessary to manually transport the measure from the tank .to the car and back to the tank again which not only required an objectionable amount of time and labor, but also resulted in a wastage'- of oil through the spilling or dripping of oil from the measure both onto the ground and onto the 'car being supplied. Another method of storing and handling lubricating oils, particularly at garages, was

to employ a storage barrel provided with a faucet and to draw olf oil into a hand measu re as called for. This method was ob'jec# tlonable for the reason that oil .Was Wasted through dripping from the faucet and because the open hand measures collected dust and grit which eventually 'mixed with the oil and found its way 'into the crank case of an engine.

My invention has for its object toy o'bviate the objections pointed out above and to provide an improved storage apparatus for lubricating oils and the like. It is a'furthe'r object of my invention to provide an apparatus of the character indicated'from which a measured quantity. of lubricating oil of tion, of a 'storage apparatus I' for lubricating oils and the like, enibodying one form of ,my invention; F ig.l 2 is aside elevationofthe apparatus shown in Fig. 1; I

Fig. -3 is a plan View of the llower Sectio-'11,

of the pump casing hereinafter described;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fi .71" 4 i Fig. 5 is a plan view of the gear valves hereinafter described; v

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectlonal wew of the devicey hereinafter referred to v`as the .sight feed; 7 is alongitudinal sectional view of the 4hose nozzle of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2;.' l ally in an out-of-the-way position, within Fig..

Fig. Seis-a partial view of an apparatus embodying another form of my invention;

and

Fig. 9 isa partial plan of the parts shown in Fig. 8.

Having referenceto Figs. 1 to 7, linclusive, of the drawings, 1 represents a sheet metal tank divided interiorlyby -a partition 2 soas to provide a compartment A mally closed by a for holding a supply of lubricating oil of relatively light grade and a compartment B for holding a supply of lubricating oil of relatively heavy grade.

Within the compartment A is arranged the inlet end of a supply pipe 3, said pipe extending laterally through the partition-2 and then upwardly to a pump 4 where its discharge `end is connectedfwith the inlet port 5 of said pump. The pump 4 is made with two inlet ports .5 and 6, the latter connecting with the upper end of a supply pipe 7 whose lower inlet end is arranged within the compartment B.

The pump 4 is also made with an outlet port 8 within which is arranged a check valve 9 that seats toward the pump 4.

To the lower end of each of the supply pipes 3 and 7 is attached a foot valve casing 10 containing a check valve 11 which opens toward pump 4.Y The lower or outer end of each casing 10 is closed and below the check valve 11 said casing is made with l'an annular series of longitudinal inlet slots. 0r slits 12 which serve to strain theoil passing therethrougggh.

Each compartment A and B is provided at its upper end with a lillmg port 13 norremovable cap 14 whlch may, if necessary, be made with the usual vent port, and at its lower end with a drain port 16 normally closed by a removable ca 17.

he outlet 8 of pump 4 communicates with a flanged nipple 18 fastened by an interiorly threaded coupling member 19 to the lower exteriorly threaded end of a sight feed pipe fitting 20 which is interlorly threaded at its upper end to receive the exteriorly threaded cndof a pipe 21. At its upper end the pipe 21 carries an elbow 22 from which projects a flanged nipple 23,

similar to nipple 18,y to which one end of aY flexible metallic hose 24 is fastened by means of a coupling member 25. At its free end the hose 24 provided with a nozzle 26.

The sight feed 20 comprises two tubular end portions 27 and 28 connected byintegral longitudinal slats or bars 29 that are separatedso as to leave longitudinal sight slots 30 between them. The tubular end portipn v27, see Fig. 6, is interiorly threaded near its outer end to receive the threaded end of the pipe 21, and near its inner end is provided with a smooth bore 31 to receive the upper end of a tube 32 of transparent. glass, an annular beveled shoulder' or shelf 33 being provided upon the interior of said tubular portionat the inner end of the smooth bore 31. The adjacent end of the glass tube 32 is also beveled, but oppositely, and between said beveled end and the shoulder 33 is ar-A ranged a packin ring 34 of leather or other suitable materia. The lower tubular portion 28 .of sight feed 20 is formed near its upper end with a smooth bore 35 to receive the lower end of the tube 32 and. another packing ring 36 which is crowded against the lower end of the glass tube 32 by a thimble 37 that is exteriorly threaded to engage threads 38 provided at the lower end of bore 35.

When the'pump 4 is operated'the oil dis charged therefrom is forced upwardly through 'nipple 18, the glass tube 32, pipe 21 and nipple 23 into hose 24'from which it discharges through nozzle 26. As this discharge passes through the glass tube 32 its.

color and consistency can be observed by the spo person purchasing the oil. That is, he can see for himself that he is, or is not, getting the kind of oil he calls'and pays for. I

consider this sight feed pipe fitting an important independent feature of my invention, it being a new article of manufacture, l

whose utilitity vis.not con-fined to.y embodiment iny a storage apparatus as herein shown.

Anotherimportant independent feature of my invention resides in the construction o'f the nozzle '26, whose utility likewise, is not confined to embodiment in a storage apparatus as herein shown. Thisnozzle comprises a body 39 having its inlet end exteriorly threaded as at 40 to receive upon it the invteriorly threaded end of a terminal 41 whose opposite end is mounted upon and soldered to the end of hose 24. At its discharge end and within the mouth thereof is a conical inwardly closing check valve 42 having a stem 43 extending through .a guide and lspring abutment 44 providedupon the interior of body 39. The inner end of`stem 43 is threaded 'to receiveupon'it a pair of nuts 45 between which and abutment 44 is arranged a light spring. 47 which serves to yieldingly hold the check valve'42 ona seat 48 provided at thc mouth of the nozzle. During the forcing stroke of'vpump 4the oil is forced through nozzle 39, check valve 42 yielding outwardly under pressure from the eil. As soon as the forcing stroke of pump 4 terminates the spring 47 vshoves valve 42 inwardly against lts seat so that dripping from the interior of the hose or nozzle is wholly prevented. Thus, not only is wastage of oil prevented, but at the completion of the operation of supplying lubricating oil to the crank case of an automobileengine, the fender and running board of the car are not splashed or soiled with oil as the free end of the hose is removed from the car.v

Heretofore, when -using a hand measure it was almost invariably necessary 'to wipe drippings oft from the car after the filling operation..

The arrangement of the valve 42 immediately at the discharge end of nozzle 26 also integral flange 50 near its upper end which vhas the important advantage of excluding dust and dirt from the oil passage or port.`

The cylinder 49 of pump 4 is cast with an rests upon and is secured to a bed plate 5l fastened by rivetsfto the top wall oftank l. At its lower end the cylinder 49 is cast with an integral flange 52 to which a lower pump. section 53 is fastened by screws 54. Between the lower end of cylinder 49 and section-53 is a rotatable valve 55 herein -shown as a'gear formed upon its under side with a centrally disposed trunnion 56 journaled in a bearing provided in section 53. This gear 'valve 55 meshes with a pinion 57 having a square hole at its center which receives the square lower end of a .vertical shaft 58 journaled in lbearings provided on I anges 50 and 52. The upper end of shaft 5 8 projects above flange 50 and has fixed thereto a handle 59 by means of which shaft 58 can be manually rotated. The engagement of this handle with suitable stops when and the swung in eitherdirection limits the turningv movement-of shaft 58 in either direction.

The threev ports, 5, 6 and 8, 'open into cyl-` inder 49 immediately below the gear valve and thelatter is made with two ports 60 and 61 extending therethrough, the port 60 coperating with -the two inlet ports 5 and 6 61 coperafting with the outlet port 8. vgVhen the handle 5,9 Voccupies a position' lat the limit of its movement in either direction the port registers with 'one of the Ainlet ports 5 or 6 while the adjacent portion of the gear valve completely closes the other of said pair of p'orts so that the suction stroke of the pump lifts oil from only one o f the compartments A or B. rllhe outlet ends of the two ports 5 and 6 are disposed close together so that when desired ithe'port 6 0 may be' placed in an intermediate position to maintain both ports 5 and 6 partially open so that the suction stroke of pump A4 lifts oil from 'both compartments A and B simultaneously injproportions determined by the selected position of gear valve 55. Thus ate with only two sources of supply, viz'., the.

contents-of compartments A and B, a customer may -be served. either with'light oil,

heavy oil, or oil of any selected intermedigrade. i

When thehandle 59 is swung from one extreme position to the opposite, its movement acts through shaft 58, and pinion 57 of suchangular length as to always maintain the outlet 8 open. Secured to thetop offlange 50 is a post 62 made with Ia laterally ieiitending arm 63 provided near its ends with al vertical opening 64 through which the pipe- 21 extends, said arm being rigidly fastened to said pipe by means of a set screw 65.

The pump cylinder 49 contains a double acting piston 66 secured to the lower end of a piston rod 67 to the upper end of which 1s rigidly secured a rack 68. The rack 68 extends through an opening provided ver` tically through the arm 63 and is guide-d in its vertical movement by the sides of' this opening. `Mounted within the yarm 63 is a,

plnion 69 in mesh with rack 68, .said pinion being fixed on a shaft 7 0 carrying at its rear end a gear 71 located outside4 of arm 63; The gear 71 is driven by a pinion 72 fastened on the rear .end of a shaft 73 which has fixed to its forward end a crank handle 74. By means of crankhandle 74and the train of gears connecting it'with the rack,

the piston 66 may be forcibly raised and l' lowered. During each up stroke of piston 66 .check valve 9 closes and oil is drawn through one or the other, or'both, of the ports `5 and 6 into cylinder 49, and during each down stroke of the piston A'the oil thus drawn into the cylinder is forced past check valve 9 through sight feed 20 and hose 24, the check valves 11 of the foot valves 10 preventing the .passage ofthe oil back down through pipes 3 and 7.

During each suction stroke of piston'`66 the check valve 42 coperates with check valve 9 in preventing back flow through outlet 8, and as will be clear the check valve provided with a check valve 42 is u sed.`

'The pump 4 herein shown is a measuring pump, that is,V each forcing stroke delivers a measured volume of oil, and 'in order to meet the requirements under which such? 76 limitsthe upward movement of the pis-- ton, the downward movement of the piston being limited by theengagement of the lat-` "9 is not wholly essential when the nozzle 39 n ter with the gear valve lat the' lower end of the cylinder 49. The screw 76 is mounted in the armi 63 with provision before sealingfor adjustment in a direction parallel with thevdirection of' movement of the piston 66, and is provided with a lock-nut 77. For sealing I providethe upper end vof 'screw 76 with a-plurality"` of transverse perforations 7 8 and after the screw 76 has been accurately positioned the lock nut 77 is tightened and then a wire is passed through one of the perforations of the screw and'through a perforated lug 79 integral with arm 63, the.

ends of said 'wire being permanently fastened togetherby' a seal 80,

The apparatus described above is designed particularly for use as an attachment to a portable gasolene tank such as is shown and described in my application No. 78,829, filed February 17, 1916, said tank being of a type that is in common use at garages and like places. To adapt Iny present apparatus for attachment to a tank of this kind I provide, at each end of the top of tank 1 a handle'81 which projects beyond the side thereof, and to attach the present apparatus to the portable tank referred to the tank 1-is lowered within one of the bail-shaped handle bars of the portable tank whereit will he supported by the handles 81 resting on the side bars of the bail-shaped handle. When the tank 1 is in thisposition, or when otherwise placed so that the level of its contents is at times above the nozzle 26, the spring 47 will prevent automatic siphoning of the oil out of tank 1.

In the form of.my invention shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the flanged outlet nipple 18 of pump 4 is connected by a coupling 82 with the exteriorly threaded lower end 83 of a double sight feed fitting 84 comprising two transparent glass tubes 85 and 86. The

lower ends of said tubes are connected, re-

spectively, by ports 87 and 88 with a valve chamber 89 within which is mounted a rotatable valve 90. A port 91 leading from valve chamber 89 through the lower exteriorly threaded portion 83 communicates at its lower en'd with nipple 18. At their upper ends the glass tubes 85 and 86 colnmunicate, respectively, with ports 92 and 93 into the upper ends of which are screwed two flanged nipples 94 and 95. The ianged up per ends of the nipples 94 and 95 are fastened to a pipe fitting 96 by coupling members 97 and 98. To this pipe fitting 96 are also fastened the ends of two flexible hose 99 and 100, the end of the hose 99 having a flanged member 1'01 permanently secured thereto which is clamped to fitting 96 vby a Icoupling 10,2, while the end of hose 100 is permanently soldered or sweated within the end' of a conduit 103 communicating at its opposite end with nipple 95. The nipple 94 communicates through a conduit 104 with the anchored end of hose-99, the free end of said hose being equipped with anozzle 26 like that shown in Fig. 7 and described above.

When the parts of the apparatus are being assembled the hose 100 is threaded into the hose 99 and when the two hose are in place the free end of hose 99 terminates just back of nozzle 26. Y

The stem of valve has an arm 105 fastened thereto carrying a pin 106 occupying a -slot 107 provided in a lug 108 projecting from a slide 109. The slide 109 is fastened to the top of pump flange 50a with provision for limited movement thereon by two screws 110 extending through slots111 provided in said slide.

The grade selecting handle 59a of Ithe ap-A paratus shown in Fig. 8 is provided witha stud 112 extending downwardly into a slot 113 formed in slide 109 and when saidvhandle is swung from its full line position to its dotted line position, or vice-versa, said stud acts against the side of slot 113 to shift slide 109endwise on flange 50 to the limit of slots 111, and said slide acts through lug 108, pin 106 and arm 105 to reverse the position of valve 90.

lVhen the valve 90 occupies the position shown in Fig. 8 the port 87 leading to the glass tube 85 and hose 99 is closed to the discharge and port 488 leading to glass tube 86 and hose 100 open to said discharge. lVhen handle *59*L swung into the position indicated by dotted lines and valve 90 is reversed port 87 leading to tube 85 and hose 99 is opened to the discharge and port 88 y closed.

When, with the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the handle'` 59 is reversed to shift the inlet of the pump 4- .from one grade of oil to the other, say from heavy to light` there remains in hose 24, sight Yfeed 20 and outlet 8 a quantity of heavy oil that is discharged from the hose with the' light oil desired. This however will not in all cases,

` what is known as aA curb apparatus for de livering `gasolene to automobiles, said apparatus beingA commonly located on thesidewalk in front' of a garage and near the curb so that automobiles-- can'l be supplied without requiring their entering the garage. Such apparatus is necessarily made so as to occupy as little space as possible andheretofore h: ve been constructed so as to provide on'ly for delivering gasolene. The compactness and peculiar construction andmode of operation of the pumping and delivery de- 'vices of the. lubricatingloil apparatus above described make is especially adaptable as an addition to a gasolenecurb apparatus yof the vkind referred to, and the addition of a lubricating oil supplying apparatus thereto is very desirable for the reason thata gasolene purchaser usually repyl'enishes his supply of lubricating oil at the same time that he replenishes his supply of gasolene. The meth- 4in linewaiting to loe'supplied, and sometimes the operator of a waiting car will become impatient at the delay occasioned by serving a preceding car with lubricating oil and drive off to another station so that the dealer loses a, customer. VWith my apparatus incorporated in the curbapparatus a customer may be quickly served without keeping others waiting as long as has heretofore been necessary.

l By delivering the lubricating oil directly from a hose into .the crank case of an automobile it iskept free and clear from dust,

scribed above.-

grit and water which finds its way into the oil when open measures are used, particularly in stormy weather. Moreover, the purchaser has heretofore had to rely uponl the honestyor care of the garage man to secure the kind and quantity of oil ordered, whereas withmy apparatus the oil .isV delivered inaccurately measured quantity within view of the purchaser and the latter can see through the sight feed whether or not-he is getting the oil he orders. The purchaser will have reasonable confidence in making his purchase from an olicially 'sealed pumpl ing apparatus bearing in effect the seal, or in fact the trade mark, of a standard oil of recognized high quality, so that the substitution of another inferior oil in said apparatus would render the dealer liable for damages.

Lubricating oils are comparatively heavy and iow slowly, particularly in cold weather,

.and when using open measures the purchaser does not Aget full measure as a rulefor the reason that the garage man invariably does vnot wait for the measure to com-- -1. An apparatus for storing and delivering lubricating oils andthe like having, inl a plurality of resercombination, a pump;

voirs for holding oils or the like of different kinds; supply conduits connecting said pump with the reservoirs; delivery conduits connected with said pump, and means for selectively controllingv said supply and delivery conduits. a

2. An apparatus for storing and delivering lubricating'oils and the like', having in combination, a measuring pump; two resorvoirs for holding oils or the like of different kinds; supply conduits connecting said pump with said reservoirs; means through which said supply conduits are selectively controlled so that oil may be pumped from either reservoir to the exclusion of the other or slmultaneously from both reservoirs 1n livery hose connected with said pump, one of said hose being arranged Iwithin -the other.

3. An apparatus for storing anddelivering lubricating oils and the like having in combination, a measuring pump; two reservoirs for holding oils or the like of different kinds; supply conduits connecting said pump with said reservoirs; means through which said supply conduits are selectively controlled so that oil may be pumped from either reservoir to the vexclusion of the other or simultaneously from both reservoirs in definite proportions; two eXible delivery hose connected with said pump one of which 1s arranged within the other; a nozzle secured to the delivery end of the outside hose `having an outwardly opening check valve seated wlthin the mouth of its port, and a` spring for holding said valve normally closed. l

4. An apparatus for storing and delivering lubricating oils and the like having in combination, a measuring pump; two reservoirs for holding oils or the'likev of different kinds; supply conduits connecting said pump with said reservoirs, means throughv which said supply conduits are selectively controlled so that oil may be pumped from 'either reservoir to the exclusion of the other of oil being pumped.

5. An apparatus for storing and delivering lubricating oils and the like, having in combination, ameasuring pump; two reservoirs for holding oils or the like ofl dili'erent kinds, supply conduits connecting said pump with said reservoirs; means threugh which said supply conduits 'are selectively -controlled so that oil may lee pumped from either reservoir to the exclusion of the other or simultaneously from both reservoirs 1n deinite proportions, said means includlng a manually adjustable control member; two

,definite proportions, and two flexible` desaid pump, one for each kind of oil; and

means connected with said control memben for controlling said delivery conduits so as to open and close them to the' discharge from said pump in accordance with the kind of oil being pumped.

6. A sight feed for apparatus of the' character indicated comprising a body having provision at one end` for attachment to a single conduit and provision at its opposite -posed to view from the exterior, and means for controlling said conduits so that they can be opened and closed to the discharge from a pump.

In testimony whereof I have aixed my signature.

CHARLES L. FRENCH. 

